Years of Letters
by Theresa Hart
Summary: "How is it you cause problems a continent and two oceans away?" In the months following Ozai's death, Katara and Zuko are forced to become penpals.  Formerly "Year of Letters" on an old account.  Will be updated weekly.
1. Preface

**Years of Letters: **

**Preface**

_The following volume contains a collection of personal letters found and preserved within the Royal Archives of the Fire Nation. While we have striven to organize these in chronological order so they form a cogent pattern, this has proven difficult in some cases, seeing as occasionally recipients and senders were not always noted. We have preserved the modifications the writers of these missives made within this transcription, as to better relate to our readers the context in which the letters were written and read._

_The earliest letters date back to the year 1 F.O. and more letters are being restored and transcribed every day. There are several letters missing from this collection—Lady Katara's correspondence with General Iroh from the first year, for example, or the notes passed between Fire Lord Zuko and Avatar Aang—but as we find these artifacts, we will be sure to include them in future editions._

_These letters offer a rare and unique perspective on a time little researched or acknowledged by modern historians, the Era of Reconstruction. The main players of the Century War—Avatar Aang, Fire Lord Zuko, General-Prince Iroh, Lady Katara, and Ambassadors Sokka and Toph Bei Fong, to name but a few—did not win a war and have the simple "happily ever after" ending that modern textbooks seem to imply. These indomitable, stubborn souls never stopped to consider maybe their part in saving the world was over, that maybe it was someone else's turn to take the reins of responsibility and allow them to rest. They looked at a world ravaged by a hundred years of death and violence, and they saw a job that needed to be done, and they did it._

_That's not to say that this new world did not suffer growing pains along the way._

_

* * *

_

**A/N: Hi! This is actually Therese Delacoeur, but seeing as it's been so long since I've put up a fanfiction, I had to create a brand-new account so I could post! I thought I'd start off with a continuation of a oneshot that I wrote for a contest, originally entitled "A Year of Letters." It didn't win, but I thought it was cute enough to be worth continuing. Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer for the WHOLE story: I DO NOT OWN AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER OR ANY CANONICAL CHARACTERS, SITUATIONS, SETTINGS, PREVIOUS EVENTS, ETC. I **_**DO**_**, however, own the story itself, including anything which is not strictly canon. :D**


	2. Chapter One

January, 1 F.O.

Salutations and Greetings to the Fire Lord-in-Waiting:

Zuko

Defeater of Ozai and

Protector of the Fire Nation

From the Ambassador of the Water Tribes:

Princess Katara

Daughter of the Southern Water Tribe,

Master Bender, and

Avatar's Companion

May this missive find your future lordship in good health and happiness. I also extend, on behalf of the Water Tribes, our faith and friendship to you and yours in the hope that our enmity might end in amity. We offer our assistance in whatever way possible to your rapid recovery from the ravages of war.

Sent on this the first day of January in the first year since the Fall of Ozai via firehawk.

—Katara

Ambassador of the Water Tribes

* * *

February, 1 F.O.

Katara—

Any help your tribe has to offer my nation would be appreciated. As Fire Lord-to-be, I thank you for your support.

All formality aside, I have to ask: when did you become a princess, peasant?

—Prince Zuko

Heir Apparent to the Fire Nation Throne,

Defeater of the Destroyer and the Vengeful, and

Avatar's Instructor

* * *

March, 1 F.O.

To Zuko, Fire Lord-in-Waiting:

If your highness is inquiring as to my title, might I be so bold as to ask who was "the Vengeful," as was written in your last letter?

As for myself, my titles are a mark of respect and granted to me by the things I have done for my people and for reasons that should be self-explanatory. I would encourage your future lordship to remember your manners [here, crossed out, is "if you ever had them"] in future dealings between the Fire Nation and the Water Tribe.

A shipment of perishables is en route to the Fire Nation, sent last February, 1 F.O. It should arrive as this does.

—Princess Katara

Ambassador of the Water Tribes,

Daughter of the Southern Water Tribe,

Master Bender, and

Avatar's Instructor and Original Companion

* * *

April, 1 F.O.

[The recipient is not named.]

Thank your tribe for me. The ships arrived today in the main island, just as I received your hawk; however, they were curiously full of seaprunes. Also, those promised goods from the Northern Water Tribe are conspicuous by their absence. Did they got lost at sea?

"The Vengeful" was my sister Azula. Uncle Iroh came up with it. He wants me to ask how you're doing and if you're getting your music practice in. Could you please write him a letter? He's been driving me crazy, reading your letters over my shoulder.

—Prince Zuko

Heir Apparent to the Fire Nation Throne,

Defeater of the Destroyer and the Vengeful,

Bringer of Peace, and

Avatar's Instructor

[Postscript] By the way, you never answered my question, "princess." And what's with the "Original Companion" part?

* * *

May, 1 F.O.

To Prince Zuko:

I apologize to the delay in the goods from the Northern Water Tribe, though I'm sure you can imagine my relief in hearing that our _kumquats_ arrived safely and to your satisfaction. My esteemed brother Sokka tells me that the Northern Tribe has been too busy rebuilding the wall that the Fire Nation's armada destroyed over a year ago to gather the extra supplies your country needs.

I feel compelled to note that if the ships been sent, I know for certain that they would never be lost at sea. Our sailors are too skilled and our benders are too practiced to allow such a travesty to occur.

Perhaps this claim seems surprising, considering the number of ships that the Fire Nation has lost in recent years, but I'm afraid that Water Tribe vessels and crews are simply superior to those assembled elsewhere. You shall see for yourself that I speak truly at the Games next month.

The fact that I am daughter to the head of my tribe makes me a princess by birth and by fact—a fact which you seem to have difficulty understanding; perhaps you have suffered some sort of head damage? I shall send our best doctors to attend you at the Games in July.

Please give General Iroh my fondest wishes. I have managed to practice my flute more regularly that I'd even hoped I'd be able to once I'd gotten home. Tell him also that I wish he was here to help me with my fingerings and my tea-making skills. I'll send him a note when I get a spare minute, I promise, though frankly it might prove refreshing if he chose to look on while you wrote your own missives as opposed to reading mine.

—Princess Katara

Ambassador of the Water Tribes,

Daughter of the Southern Water Tribe,

Master Bender, and

Avatar's Instructor and Companion

[Postscript] The "Original" was merely to distinguish between those who were with the Avatar from the beginning and not trying to _kill him_.

* * *

June, 1 F.O.

Katara!

Where were you at the Games? I had to put up with that simpering old fool of a healer from the North. She tried to bend water in my brain for a whole month, and you weren't there to call her off! Uncle missed you, too; he'd gotten out his best tea set in preparation for your arrival. He sulked for a week, no thanks to you. How is it you cause problems when you're a continent and two oceans away?

And I told you, I know I was wrong to hunt ["the Avatar" is crossed out] Aang. I thought you'd forgiven me for that. Aang has let bygones be bygones, at least. Do the same.

The Northern Water Tribe's supplies came with their participants in the Games. Not only did they _not_ bring just _seaprunes_ [underlined several times, denting the parchment] in their shipment, but they also brought their _ambassador_, too! [Again, "ambassador" is heavily underlined.] It seems the Northern Water Tribe has their responsibilities in order.

Your brother has told me to tell you hello. Hello.

By the way, the firehawk carrying this letter should be leading a war balloon full of metal hooks and nets for your tribe as payment for the supplies.

—Prince Zuko

[Postscript] You can call yourself a princess, but you'll always be a peasant.

* * *

July, 1 F.O.

ZUKO!

THE NERVE OF YOU CALLING ME A PEASANT AFTER EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE FOR YOUR SORRY [something vulgar crossed out here] PRECIOUS PONYTAIL BUTT, YOU [more crossings out]!

LIKE I WOULD EVEN WANT TO SEE A SCRAWNY CAVEHOPPER SKUNKBEAR LIKE YOU AT THE GAMES, YOU _JERK_!

IF YOU EVER SHOW YOUR FACE DOWN HERE, I SWEAR I'LL FREEZE YOU TO THE HULL AND LEAVE YOU THERE UNTIL YOUR STUPID FIREBENDERS GET YOU DOWN!

Tell Uncle Iroh I'm sorry I missed him. He's welcome to visit anytime.

—PRINCESS Katara

[Postcript] AND KUMQUATS ARE GOOD FOR YOU!

* * *

August, 1 F.O.

To The Most Esteemed and Honorable

Princess Katara,

Ambassador of the Water Tribes,

Daughter of the Southern Water Tribe,

Master Bender, and

Avatar's Instructor and Companion:

I formally apologize for my rude and unseemly behavior. It was unbecoming of me, and I have shamed the Fire Nation. Please accept my humblest apologies.

—Zuko

Temporarily Relieved of Duties

By His Advisor:

General Iroh,

Dragon of the West, and

Head of the Royal Family

[Postscript in an elegant, old-fashioned hand] I trust this is an adequate apology, Lady Katara?

* * *

September, 1 F.O.

To Prince Zuko:

I accept your apology. I understand that your teenage hormones made you temporarily stupid. You should thank the spirits that you have one as wise and understanding as your Uncle Iroh there to guide and correct you when you wander off the path of politeness.

Thank your craftsmen for the nets and hooks. They're really wonderful and work much better than bone.

—Katara

Ambassador of the Water Tribes

* * *

October, 1 F.O.

Lady Katara—

You're welcome for the stuff. If you need more, let me know.

Uncle told me to ask for more kumquats. He's been forcing them down my throat every night. Sokka was exaggerating; they're not so bad. If you smother them in volcano sauce, you can hardly taste them.

I'm sending two hawks this time. Keep the other one. He seems to like you for some reason [crossed out is "though I can't imagine why"].

—Prince Zuko

* * *

October, 1 F.O.

Zuko—

I'm supposed to ask if you have any of those powered water-boats anymore or if we destroyed them all when we blew up the naval shipping yard. Our current ships aren't fast enough to hunt the iguanaseals, and the Spirits' Day feast is coming up in the next two weeks. We'll compensate you for them, of course.

The Northern Water Tribe is sending some of its journeywomen healers to the Fire Nation to assist your doctors. They tell me to tell you that they look forward to sharing what they know about how the body works with what your nation knows about medicines.

I thank you for the hawk.

—Princess Katara

* * *

October, 1 F.O.

To Lady Katara:

I saved four from your attack on the shipping yard. They're a little banged-up, but they should work fine for, ah, iguanaseal hunting. They need firebenders to power them, though. Care to trade? A waterbender for a firebender? We could use one to make the submarine ships that you used during the first invasion work.

The healers are a blessing, but I'm curious: why didn't you send a master healer?

You're welcome for the hawk.

—Prince Zuko

* * *

November, 1 F.O.

Prince Zuko,

Thank you for the boats. The little ones enjoyed them immensely. I'm afraid they wrecked one and dented the other—they can't quite steer them yet—but the remaining two are being carefully cared for by Bender Kuzon. He sends "wishes of good health and fair fortune for the Fire Lord and his progeny." I assume this is simply memorized rhetoric, or should I be extending congratulations to a new Fire Lady?

The reason for both why we can't send you a bender for a bender or a master healer is that I am the only bender of the Southern Water Tribe of any skill, and I am the head of the waterbending healers for all the Water Tribes, making me the only master healer. You know they cannot spare me right now.

I lit a candle for your mother and Iroh's child during the Spirits' Day feast.

May Yue light your way,

Princess Katara

* * *

November, 1 F.O.

Katara—

You, as Ambassador, would've been told of a new Fire Lady! That you would—! (There are several illegible crossed-out phrases here, though "Damn Kuzon" is vaguely discernable.)

Yes, it's rhetoric, and there are no immediate plans to change that fact, though Mai's family's been hinting about it to Uncle.

The Fire Nation held three great bonfires for our Spirits' Day celebration, in memory of those who died in each of the three nations. Naturally, the Air Nomad's fire was the biggest, but I said a prayer at each.

Now, what exactly are you doing at the South Pole that makes you so indispensable? Really, they survived—what, two years?—without you. I'm sure they could do it again.

—Zuko

* * *

November, 1 F.O.

Zuko,

I do many things for my people! We've had to rebuild the village ("since you destroyed it" is crossed out) since the end of the war, and I've had to redraw maps and entertain ambassadors from all of the other nations—except the Fire Nation, I might add—and Gran-Gran has been forcing me to meet with all the waterbenders from the North Pole (something that looks remarkably like "because she thinks that I need to get married" is scribbled out).

I'm just busy, alright? I shouldn't have to explain it to you, Master I'm-About-To-Be-Fire-Lord-In-Two-Months.

Thank you for the honor you did us on Spirits' Day. I'm thrilled the Water Tribes didn't get lost in the shuffle.

—Katara

* * *

December, 1 F.O.

To Katara,

Ambassador of the Water Tribes,

Daughter of the Southern Water Tribe,

Master Bender, and

Avatar's Instructor and Companion:

Your presence is required at the crowning ceremony of the new Fire Lord, his Royal Highness, Prince Zuko, on the first day of January in the second year since the Fall of Ozai.

Your Humble Servant,

Baron Li

Master of Ceremonies

Of the Most Glorious

Fire Nation

[Postscript, scrawled] Come on, Katara! You have to be here! It's your responsibility! And what do you want for your Midwinter's present?

* * *

December, 1 F.O.

Zuko!

I can't believe you made your "Master of Ceremonies of the Most Glorious Fire Nation" write out an invitation to me! It was the most pompous, arrogant thing I've read yet from your stupid hawk. And your postscript was hideous, too! Not a "please" in sight.

Anything your Royal Bigheadedness thinks would be worthy of a Water Tribe _peasant_ would be fine, I'm sure.

[Unsigned.]

* * *

December, 1 F.O.

Dear Lady Katara,

I am sorry for the baron's high-handed letter. My writing hand had been injured during bending practice that morning, and it was bandaged while I was waiting for one of the waterbender healers to see to it. Since you were getting an invitation anyway, I decided to just write a little thing at the end instead of writing it all out myself. Or would you like the future Fire Lord to have a crippled hand for his crowning?

In any case, I hope this makes up for the letter. I wish you'd come to the ceremony.

Happy Midwinter.

—Zuko

* * *

December, 1 F.O.

Dear Zuko,

This more than makes up for your lackluster letter. I'm wearing it now, but you'll see that for yourself as we'll be docking in your capital's port in a couple of hours.

I'll see to your hand myself when we arrive.

—Katara


	3. Chapter Two

January, 2 F.O.

General Iroh—

Suki says I should start this letter off with small talk. So hello. How are you? I am fine. Suki is, too. Oh, here's something mildly interesting! We've just started work on the submarine vehicles Professor Shang ordered for his volcano research. It's been difficult to adjust the propulsion systems for manual instead of bending power, but we're hoping to have the beta testing done by spring thaw.

Now. What in the name of All-Spirits is going on between Ponytail Boy and my sister? Don't even think about brushing this off, Iroh. Suki saw them holding hands right before the ceremony last week.

Thank you, by the way, for inviting us. It was nice to return to the Fire Nation without being afraid of, you know, _dying_, though I did miss the beard. The ceremony itself was too long, though—I thought even Zuko's hard head was going to cave in with all the metal that was being piled on it. And were the thousand turtledoves really necessary? It was hard to hear anything over the squawking, though I guess that might be a blessing in disguise, if I'm remembering the Fire Sages correctly. Old coots.

In any case, I figured you of anyone would know what was going on. I'm not even going to try asking Lord Blockhead and Her Stubborness. It would be like trying to get information from a sabertooth moose lion: pointless and painful. But Suki keep ranting about the PDA and I don't know how else to shut her up—in the most loving way possible, of course.

Thanks, Iroh. If you could give the other note in this to Zuko for me, I'd appreciate it.

—Sokka

Ambassador of the Northern Water Tribe

[Postscript in a loopy scrawl]

Uncle Iroh, please excuse Sokka's idiocy. I'm trying to beat manners into him, but I've only been at the North Pole for six months. Please do answer him, though, for my own sanity—he's been whining about it since the crowning. May Yue light your way, Suki

[The following was an enclosed scrap of paper addressed to a "Lord Ponytail"]

KEEP YOUR SOOTY PAWS OFF MY SISTER!

* * *

February, 2 F.O.

Dear Ambassador Sokka,

It was good to see you at the crowning ceremony! It is equally wonderful that you and Suki are using the firehawk I gave you; talking once a year is not enough by far to satisfy this old man's curiosity. Suki is adjusting well, I trust? It is not fair that you are keeping such a lovely woman to yourself up there, Sokka. I can only imagine the light and joy such a vivacious woman brings to the North. You both should consider taking an extended holiday in the Fire Nation; the hot springs are delightful, and I would be most excited to use the new ceramic tea set that your sister was generous enough to give to me during her last visit.

As for your question, Sokka, I can tell you that your sister is as generous with her bending abilities to a virile young warrior as she is with her material goods to an elderly man such as myself. My nephew had injured himself quite badly in training not long before the ceremony; rather than having it treated before her arrival, Zuko insisted that Katara see it herself. Ambassador Katara had a few words to say with him about that—perhaps that was the encounter Suki witnessed? You could ask them yourself, though admittedly observation might prove more fruitful.

I will add that the turtledoves were your sister's idea. I daresay they were better than the firehawk flock Zuko wanted originally. As it was, we had to talk Baron Li out of feeding the 'doves glitter in order to "decrease the mess," as he put it.

I cannot wait to take a ride to the bottom of the ocean in one of your newly improved submarines. I'm fairly certain my nephew will not follow through on his jest to use them for target practice if I am aboard.

Your hearths and hearts stay warm and strong,

—Uncle Iroh

PS: My nephew insisted that I include this note in with mine; perhaps you two should become penpals!

[What follows is the mildly scorched enclosed note addressed to "Ambassador Sokka" sealed with wax:]

I'll put my "sooty paws" wherever I damn well please, you peabrained, waterlogged peasant! She wasn't complaining.

* * *

**A/N: The rest of this year will be finished soon; I just was too excited about what I'd written to leave this portion languishing on my computer. I'll republish the chapter when I've got the rest of it written, so if you'd like to know when it's updated, you should put this on story alert. In the meantime, let me know what you think!**


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